Cold Air Hellos and Goodbyes
by LostInBlueSkies
Summary: Karen and Harry are trying to mend their relationship after what happened at Christmas-time. Harry comes home from work early to tell Karen how he feels. COMPLETED
1. Breaking the Ice

TITLE: Cold Air Hellos and Goodbyes

AUTHOR: Marita Linde

TYPE: Drama/Romance, with some definite angst and a new category I like to call "Making Marita feel better".

RATING: PG

SUMMARY: A follow-up to the movie. Karen and Harry are trying to mend their relationship after what happened at Christmas-time. Things go slowly, but some things are "cleared up", and problems are fixed, and all that stuff. Eventually.

NOTES: Um, yeah. This fic was mostly just written to make me feel better because I felt sad for my Emmie and wanted to set my poor heart at rest. I want to believe it ended this way. Hee. I have no idea how much time elapsed between the scene at the Christmas pageant and when Harry gets back from the airport (I'm sure it says it in the movie, but I'm too lazy to look) so I made up four weeks. Oh, and I'm aware that Harry's characterization is way off, but even in the movie there's like... nothing to go on, so.

THANKS: Brian, who talked to me about sheep, emus and samurai as I wrote this fic.

Karen hadn't looked her husband in the eye in three weeks. He'd come out of this disaster a man on a mission, hoping to mend what he'd selfishly broken between them. He'd even taken the time off work. But there was so much anger and disappointment inside her that she found herself not co-operating with his efforts. He'd planned dinners, she'd escaped them. He'd tried to hold her at night in bed, she'd shoved him off. He'd tried to be romantic, she'd laughed it off. Finally one afternoon he came home from work and announced he was going on a one-week business trip to the US to look at new possibilities for ad campaigns, and she'd let out a long-held breath of relief. Finally, some time to think.

Sometimes she hated the way she was. When something was wrong with her she was usually the only person who knew it, and it took extreme effort for her to be able to talk about anything even remotely uncomfortable. The entire three weeks after Christmas, all she'd wanted to do was sit Harry down and scream at him until her lungs gave out. But there was no chance. He was always planning things, smiling at her, kissing her on the cheek. She didn't have the strength to go out anywhere with him and she wouldn't raise her voice in front of the children. So she was trapped. And she was going insane.

He'd left that day. She, Bernard, and Daisy had driven him and he'd said goodbye, the strained regret showing in his face, poking out through the lines in his skin. She'd been so happy to see him go, and now, alone in the silent house, she could finally cry. Heaving sobs shook her shoulders and she collapsed in the nearest chair. Gosh, it felt so good to finally cry, really weep. Her life was all about pretending when he was around, not wanting to see the guilt in his eyes when she betrayed the slightest hint of sadness. Now that he was gone she could finally let it out, finally begin to heal.

One week later

"Hello, darling, how are you?" Harry greeted Karen at Heathrow airport, and she let him kiss her on the cheek.

"Fine, I'm fine," she said, still not looking at him straight. He looked happy, more hopeful, but the guilt was still there.

They exited out of the airport and he put his hand on her back. She stiffened instantly, without thinking she wouldn't let his warmth seep into her. He noticed it, too, she could tell by the way his face hardened, but he left his hand there.

They arrived at home and Harry offered to put the kids to bed. Karen raised her eyebrows in surprise, putting on a fake smile just to let him release some of the tension she knew he was holding in. She walked into the bedroom and had begun to take her shoes off when something on the cupboard caught her eye. Her Joni Mitchell CD. She'd been listening to it all week and crying to it, but she didn't want Harry to see it. She didn't want him thinking that she valued any gift he gave her. Surprised at her harshness but still hiding the CD, she wondered to herself if she would ever stop wanting him to feel guilty.

He walked in, and instantly there was a fog-like tension in the room. He smiled at her, took off his shirt, and she turned away. Gosh, it was like they were strangers all over again, guarding emotions and blushing over bare skin.

"How was your flight?" she asked softly. An ordinary question, she thought, a safe question.

"It was fine," he answered, "uneventful."

"A good thing, I suppose," she said, and smiled at him. He smiled back, grateful for even that, and sat on the bed. His shoulders sagged as he sighed heavily, his bare back to her, and suddenly a sadness enveloped her that she could not control. What had he done to them?

"Karen..." he started, and she almost stopped him. Instead, she sat on the opposite side of the bed and stared at the wall, her arms crossed. "If I had to say I was sorry every day for the rest of my life I would, you know that." He turned to her, touched her stiff, uninviting shoulder, turned her around. "We can't go on like this."

"No, you're right, we can't," she said, more harshly than she meant, and watched his blue eyes become more and more focused on her face. "But I can't just forgive you, Harry. I just can't forget this. Especially when I don't even know what really happened."

"I know. That's my fault. Those three weeks... I... well, I was just diving into everything I could think of that would make us talk, but I never thought of just... talking." He smiled, taking her hand. "I am daft, you know that. I'm an idiot."

"Why?" she asked suddenly, her hand tightening around his. "Why did you do this to me? Why betray me in such a personal way? What have I ever done?"

His face looked suddenly defeated, his eyes turned to the covers on the bed. "Oh, Karen, I was a stupid old man who was excited by a beautiful young woman's advances. I didn't think, I... There is no excuse, I don't know what to tell you. I bought that necklace because I wanted to see what could happen."

She turned to him. "Did you have sex with her?" When she really thought of it, she couldn't believe it had taken her so long to ask him that question. Even someone in as much denial as she was in normally didn't respond with the amount of restraint that she had. Not to something like this.

He shook his head. "I swear to God I didn't."

"Well," she sighed, deflated, tired all of the sudden, "that's a start, at least."

NEXT CHAPTER TO COME. (Don't worry, this is not resolved yet!)


	2. A Challenge

Cold Air Hellos and Goodbyes B Chapter 2

Same info as last time. Id like to thank Lexi and Katie for reviewing, because they really meant a lot to me, the nice things you said, and so I thought a special thank you would be in order. :)

Karen woke slowly, the loud noise of the traffic outside her window disturbing her. Shed been having a peaceful dream about a breezy field and a girl with a long, flowing white dress, and her entire body was calm. For a moment she forgot everything that was going on, until she climbed out of bed and caught sight of Harry lying down with his back to her. He was obviously still sleeping, his snoring quite audible over the roar of cars from outside. She sighed and went to the kitchen.

It being Saturday, Daisy and Bernard were still fast asleep, and the quiet of the house made her shiver. This must be what its like to be completely alone, she thought, making herself some coffee. All you would disturb is stillness. Shaking her head she sat on a chair by the table and drank slowly, wondering what the day would be like. Harry had always had Saturdays off, and most of the time theyd go to the movies and then out to lunch with the kids. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldnt see herself feeling motivated to do anything.

It was hard to explain just what shed felt when shed opened the Joni Mitchell CD on Christmas Eve. All of her daydreams and most of her energy had, before that moment, been spent on imagining what her marriage would be like after shed gotten the necklace. She and Harry had never really had Aproblems, but it was hard to find time to themselves and romance was almost completely out of the picture. Excitement and surprises were, before this, a foreign thing to her, and the thought of receiving something so out of the ordinary, so youthful, so sexy, made her genuinely happy to the core. When instead she opened the CD, knowing full well that there were no other boxes under the tree that were the right size to hold that necklace, it was as if a tidal wave of shock had completely enveloped her.

Shed been devastated. Not only did this mean that her husband had given the necklace to someone else, that there was another woman out there somewhere getting that necklace, but it also meant that hed rather give it to someone other than her, that his emotions and feelings were elsewhere. She was at a complete loss of what else there was to feel but inherent sadness, a deep, heavy feeling that made her throat become tight and her skin numb. And the worst part was that she couldnt let herself cry, I mean really cry, because shed worry everyone. And so every emotion she felt, everything she wanted to let out, had to be instead bottled inside of her and made her feel about to burst. Her body was on fire and she just wanted to curl up and die.

When she looked back on it now, she supposed the CD would have been a lovely present if it hadn't been interrupted by the appearance of the necklace. Harry knew how deeply she felt about Joni Mitchell's music, how much of an emotional experience it was for her, and he'd tapped into that. Of course, she assumed the energy he'd put into finding a suitable gift for her was inspired from guilt more than anything else, and that just made her angry with him all over again. How could he, after everything they'd been through, even think of another woman in that way? By the time she had finished drinking her coffee she was seething.

Harry walked into the kitchen dressed in jeans and a blue t-shirt, yawning and running his fingers through his air. She stared up at him, this man whom she'd woken up next to every day for the past fifteen years, and thought for a split second that she didn't know him at all. How could she ever be sure of what he would do next? Before Christmas she trusted him with her life, with, even more seriously, the lives of her children, but now she couldn't see how she could ever fully trust him again. If the inner workings of his mind were a mystery to her, if she could think that he was genuinely happy when really he was full of unrest, then how could she know for sure now that he was really sorry?

She stood and watched him intently. He'd poured himself a cup of coffee and was reaching for the sugar when suddenly he stopped, his eyes on her.

"Something wrong?" he asked, moving toward her.

"No," she said quickly, too quickly, and watched the guilt and worry fill his eyes once again. "I'm fine, Harry," she snapped, and walked out of the room, fully aware of his eyes on her back.

Karen stood in the bedroom that night staring at herself in the full-length mirror. Sometime after having Daisy her body has transformed itself. Now, where once a slim, gorgeous woman had once been, there stood a bulky, wider version of herself. Perhaps that's why he went to Mia, she thought, pushing in at her thighs. Maybe he got sick of watching me gain weight. He's just not attracted to me anymore. She sighed, still staring, when Harry walked in the room.

She turned away immediately, climbing into bed and pushing her face against the pillow, and heard him do the same beside her. "Harry?" she asked softly, waiting for body to shift towards her, "do you think I'm fat?"

He exhaled loudly, his hand hovering over the bare skin of her back, not daring to touch her. "Of course not," he said, his voice low, "I think you're perfect."

It was exactly what she'd thought he'd say. Her mind was made up. Tomorrow she would diet.


	3. Torn

Cold Air Hellos and Goodbyes – Chapter 3

NOTES: I'm really sorry that this isn't longer, but I don't want to take too long to write each chapter.

THANKS: To Amber for the info you gave me on married couples. You're a genius! I used it near the end. I'm sure you'll recognize it.

Please review! I'd love to hear what you think and also what you'd like to happen or what you think could be improved.

Daisy and Bernard had finally come to the conclusion that their parents were not going to get a divorce. Relieved, they now sat smiling at the dinner table and entertained Harry and Karen with stories of their school days, as opposed to the frightened, quiet way they had once looked at them while eating. Karen and Harry had silently agreed that although nothing had changed between them, they would act as if it had. So now, when Daisy and Bernard walked into the room, they would immediately smile at each other and act like the perfect couple. No matter how mad they were at each other, the children were always more important.

Karen had been going to the gym for weeks now, and despite the fact that she knew it was just creating more distance between them, she had not told Harry yet. It made her feel sly, mysterious, almost superior to come home and tell him she'd been shopping when really she'd been improving herself in order to show him what he was missing. And so every night she'd hide her gear under the bed and smile knowingly when Harry asked her why she was so sore getting into bed.

Slowly but surely, they had started to talk more. Of course, this increase was only about two words per day, but it made a difference to him, she could tell. He would ask her how she was, she would say fine, they would drink their coffee. Evenings were uncomfortably quiet, however, especially during commercial breaks while watching TV, and she'd been going to bed early consistently just to escape the silence.

How did couples get through things like this? She was sure it involved talking, actual real conversation, and so far they had not done much of that. And there was still so much anger left in her, so much yelling yet to be let out.

That night they dressed for bed at opposite ends of the room, like usual, and lifted up the covers of the bed. "How was Bernard today? Any nicer than normal?" Harry asked, shifting his body toward her.

"No, just the usual," she responded, her voice quiet and tired. "Daisy told me today she has a boyfriend."

"Oh?" She could hear the hurt in his voice over not being let in on this secret by Daisy herself. "Good character, bad character..?"

"Haven't met him just yet, but from what she tells me he likes to stick gum in other girls' hair and wears a lot of black."

"Great," Harry said, his voice full of dread. "Well, she's still young. Maybe we won't have to meet him."

She laughed- a genuine, loud sound that filled the room for a few seconds and then disappeared. They had shifted so that they were lying on their backs, their shoulders almost touching, both of them staring up at the ceiling. She exhaled long and loud, letting her breath fill up the silence of the air around them. He reached over and took her hand, something he'd done thousands of times before, and she shivered.

"Karen," he said slowly, clearing his throat, "I am so sorry for creating this whole mess between us. When I think about what all happened and how easy it would have been to prevent, I-"

"Don't," she said hoarsely, fighting back ridiculous tears. "Gosh, Harry, I know you're sorry. That's not the problem. It's just..." She stopped, wondering if she should tell him what she'd been feeling. There was no doubt that she loved her husband, and that for the past fifteen years her life had been almost totally about him. She looked at his face, into his eyes, so full of hope, and sighed. "I just have so much anger left for you. I mean, why did you do this? Why? I understand that she's beautiful, she's young, she's sexy, but would it have been worth it? Did you think to yourself that it would have been worth it to have sex with this girl and turn your back on everything we had - our entire lives?"

He squeezed her hand more tightly, pulling himself closer to her so their faces were only inches apart. "I would come home every day at the same time, put my bag on the chair, take off my coat, kiss you on the cheek, and sit down for dinner. Every night I'd sit on the bed and undress and you'd stand beside the bed and undress. We'd say goodnight, turn out the light, and sleep with our backs to each other. I love you, I always have loved you, and I love our children. But I was an idiot. It felt like there was something missing, and I thought that it could only be found elsewhere."

She was torn. Half of her wanted to grab him, pull him into her arms, make love to him tonight and cook an omelette for him tomorrow for breakfast. The other half wanted to get out her suitcase, pack, and leave him so he could never hurt her again. She decided on a less-spontaneous version of the first, kissing him on the cheek, smiling, and turning out the light. She'd come to realize that with this, as in so many other things, time was the only thing that would help.

The next day Karen was at the gym, killing herself on the treadmill, when David, the twenty-something manager, walked up to her and smiled. "Hey Karen," he cooed, putting a hand on the bar of the machine. "How are you today?"

"Oh, I'm great," she panted, wiping sweat off her forehead in an easy swipe. "And how are you?" She only really talked to him so he would stay. It wasn't that conversation with him was all that stimulating, but she just loved to look at him. Most of the time he wore only a thin cotton tank top, and his hard, tan muscles showed through the fabric. He had dark, wavy hair that he let go wherever it wanted, and he was incredibly friendly.

"I'm doing absolutely fantastic," he said, his voice smooth. She looked at him and he smiled, causing her to lose her balance for a split second. "You're looking fantastic today."

"Oh... really?" She nearly lost her footing again but kept running, trying to look cool. "Thanks."

He grinned again, winked at her, and walked off, stopping to glance at her again before going into his office. She shook her head, turned off the treadmill, and stood there for nearly five minutes trying to catch her breath. Imagine David looks-like-a-young-Jude-Law hitting on her. She caught sight of her reflection in the mirrors on the wall opposite of her and stared. She couldn't believe it.


	4. Walk In My Shoes

Cold Air Hellos and Goodbyes – Chapter Four

THANKS: To Amber again, for the song, and also to Nicholas Evans, for writing The Horse Whisperer.

She stepped into the house just as the air was getting cold and the sun was disappearing- a sure sign she was late- and called out her greetings. They sounded out and came back to her, bouncing against the walls like stones. "Hullo?" she said again, this time louder, and was met with an even stronger silence.

She moved into the kitchen, all those years of watching too many horror movies catching up with her and making her afraid to look, and saw a note on the table:

"_Karen,_

_Took the kids out to a movie while you were gone._

_Be back around 7._

_Love,_

_Harry."_

She smiled a little, mostly relieved to find that they were all okay, and set her bag on the table. The darkness of the house made her feel uneasy, so she turned on the lights in all the rooms, grinning as she disobeyed her own rule. She checked the clock, seeing that it was nearly seven now, and turned on the television. The BBC was showing old episodes of Are You Being Served? so she sat down on the sofa with a Diet Coke and a carrot and watched.

About thirty minutes later, after she was nearly driven crazy with loneliness, she heard the car pull into the driveway and gave a little sigh of thankfulness. She wondered at how one day she could be so frustrated with the children that she wanted to hide under the bed, but the next day she was dying without them. Then again, maybe it wasn't the kids she wanted to see so badly.

Daisy walked in first, her head turned behind her so she could listen to what Bernard was telling her. It sounded like they were quoting the movie they had just seen, and Karen grinned, if only because she was happy to see them getting along. Harry trailed behind them, also grinning, carrying three huge shopping bags in his arms.

"Hey mom!" Daisy practically screamed, lunging at her with a death-grip hug. "We watched the greatest movie ever!" Karen threw a comically terrified look at Harry while Bernard dived onto the couch and began jumping on it.

"Ack!" Harry half-yelled in his best Scottish accent. "Me lady, they're takin' over the ship!" She laughed and kissed him on the cheek, noticing how he smelled like buttered popcorn, and lingered there for a few more seconds than was necessary. The air around him was as happy as his eyes looked, and for a moment she found it easy to pretend nothing bad had ever happened between them. He looked her in the eye and she thought she saw something flicker there along with the happiness, something deeper and having to do with just her. But Bernard interrupted their moment by practically grabbing her shoulder and shoving one of the large shopping bags into her hands.

"What's this, then?" she asked, and stole a glance at Harry. He just smiled, taking it from her.

"Not now, Bernard," he said, and give his son a serious look.

"Dad bought you something at the store, but he won't tell us what it is!" Daisy cried, jumping on the couch now, too.

Karen shot a look at Harry and felt her inside constricting. Not another peace offering. Not another box of chocolates or bottle of perfume he thought would make her forgive him. Not when everything had been going so well without him trying this hard to buy her love. He turned away from her, probably after seeing the fear spring up in her eyes, and started to climb the stairs. "I'm just going to put this away," he said quietly, almost embarrassed. "It's for another time."

They spent most of the night nestled in silence, this time for the most part comfortable, while the children played video games and tried to shove each other off the desk chair. Karen had known they couldn't get along for too extended a period of time, and wasn't surprised at their fighting. She did, however, send them to bed early.

She walked down the stairs and sat beside Harry on the couch. The West Wing was on TV, the low, tinny sound of it out of place in the otherwise complete silence of the house. "Did you have a good time with the kids tonight?" she asked him as soon as a commercial popped up, pulling a thread from the sofa's material.

"Yeah, sure, of course," he said genuinely, turning to look at her. "Sorry for leaving you all alone, but I didn't know when you'd be back from your book club and the kids were getting restless." The words 'book club' confused her for a second before she realized that's what she'd told Harry she was doing when she was really at the gym. She shook her head to tell him it was fine. He rose, moving toward the stairs. "I'll be back in a sec," he said, racing away before she could tell him to stop.

She was dreading the present, which she knew he was off to get. She didn't want him showing his love for her in the same way he'd shown his attraction for Mia - through material gifts. It all seemed too parallel to her and almost insulting, and it hurt her that he didn't realize it himself.

He came bounding down with the bag, setting it beside her. "I feel sort of silly now that the kids made a big deal out of it. It's not even really a gift, just something I knew you needed..." He trailed off, his eyes on the bag, and she knew she had to open it.

So she did, and inside there was a pair of brand new Nike running shoes. Baffled, she looked up at him with an expression that must have said something close to 'you're crazy', because he immediately looked regretful.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, picking up the bag. "It's just, I noticed the ones you wore to the gym were sort of... well... worn out, and I saw these and thought they'd be useful. Of course you could have just bought them yourselves, but-"

"How did you know?" she asked him, her voice quiet. She was staring at the shoes, completely baffled, but happy at the same time.

He smiled, obviously relieved that she wasn't mad, and spoke in a very calm, low voice, "Well, I knew something was different about you. You looked different. And you... well, you looked at yourself different. Once I saw your runners in a different place I just put two and two together..."

At first she didn't believe him. Maybe he'd seen her there once, through the window, and had decided not to tell her he knew. But one look into that face, so happy that she was happy, and she knew he was telling the truth. He just knew her. How bizarre that he could just tell the difference. She wasn't at all sad that her secret had been uncovered, only felt thankful that had surprised her in this way. She hugged him tightly and told him thank you, then went to bed happier than she'd felt all week.

The next day, as she worked out in her brand new shoes, she saw David from across the room and her chest tightened. For a while she just stared at him while she lifted the dumbbells, but when he started to come over she quickly looked away.

"Karen!" he practically shouted, standing so close to her she could smell his sweat. "I'm so glad to see you here, you look great!"

She grinned childishly, thanking him, and waited for him to speak again. He moved in closer to her and reached in front of her to take the dumb bell from her hand. "Eight pounder, not bad. Next week you should move up to ten, you'll feel it more here." He pressed on her bicep and grinned again, and she hoped he didn't notice her goosebumps. "Great work, Karen."

Gosh, he was gorgeous. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. He touched her back lightly as he walked away, and she could swear she saw him glancing back at her before walking into his office and shutting the door behind him.


	5. Chapter Five

Cold Air Hellos and Goodbyes – Chapter Five

NOTES: So sorry it took me so long to punch this one out, guys! I had finals this past week and was incredibly busy. But thank you so much for the reviews and comments. I took someone's advice and disposed of David in this chapter, except not in the way you'd think. Also, this chapter is a little different in that it's half Harry's perspective and half Karen's. Just thought I'd change it up a bit.

THANKS: To the reviewing public! ;) Please, review even more! I love hearing what you guys think.

Harry stepped into the office the next day brimming with optimism. Finally he could be content in the knowledge that he had done something right with Karen. He turned his swivel chair around to face his computer screen and sat on it, beginning to type up a company memo. Just then, there was a soft knock on the door and a soft "hello". Harry turned around to see Mia, smiling and holding up a cup of coffee.

"Your favourite from the shop downtown. I was there and... I just thought I'd surprise you." She smiled again and set it on his desk.

"That's very nice of you Mia, but I... well, I already had three coffees, so..." he picked up the cup and pushed it towards her, trying desperately not to make eye contact.

"What's with you lately, Harry?" she asked coyly, walking closer to him. He could smell the exotic tinge of her perfume mingling with the strong scent of coffee. "Ever since Christmas you've barely looked at me. You know, I still wear that necklace you bought me almost every night."

He cleared his throat as she put her hand on his shoulder, staring at him. "That's... nice, Mia, but really... that necklace was a mistake."

She frowned, taking her hand away. "A mistake?"

"Yes," he said softly, letting out a breath of air. "I... I love my wife."

She smirked, turning towards the door. "Harry," she said, and he looked up, "I always get what I want." She turned and walked out of the office, leaving him dumbfounded and still smelling her in the room.

Sarah walked in, her arms full of papers, and lowered herself onto his office chair with a sigh. "Gosh, what is with the work load this week, boss? You'd think we're actually doing something important the way you've got us running around..." she trailed off, noticing he wasn't listening. "Harry?"

"Oh, sorry Sarah," he said, sitting down beside her. "I was just a little... out of it."

"Wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that Mia just walked out of your office, would it?" She looked at him closely.

He sighed, running a hand over his face. "I told her that I loved my wife and she said that she always gets what she wants. Which is, you know, terribly inconvenient." Sarah's face softened and she put a hand over his.

"Just don't do anything stupid, Harry. If you really love your wife, it won't be hard."

Karen chopped up the rest of the celery and tossed it in the soup pan, making a face when the phone rang just as she had begun to wash her hands. "Hello?" she said as soon as she picked it up, cradling it between her neck and shoulder.

"Karen?" Harry's voice boomed through the receiver. "It's me, Harry. How are you?"

"Fine..." she said, beginning to set the table. "Is something wrong?" She wondered why he was calling her from work but didn't dare to ask.

"No, nothing wrong, just... wanted to see how you were doing, is all." He cleared his throat and she could hear him moving around, most likely pacing. She smirked.

"How was work?" she asked.

"Oh, fine, uneventful," he answered, clearing his throat. "I'm just leaving, actually, so I'll be home in time for dinner." There was a long, stretched-out pause which made Karen very uncomfortable, and then, "What were you up to today?"

The chatting continued on like that for about ten minutes, in fact they talked until he got in the door of the house and grinned at her. She said, "Bye, darling," into the receiver and he flipped his cell closed. She stood by the stairs, holding the phone and a serving spoon, and he stood in the doorway holding his bag and the cell, both of them grinning at each other. She walked up to him first, taking off his coat for him and hugging him tightly, holding on a little longer than she normally would have.

"I transferred Mia today," he said bluntly, and watched as the shock registered on her face. "She came into my office and said something, and I realized the only way I'd really be rid of her is to transfer her, so she works downstairs now. Joe is her boss."

She widened her eyes and hung up his coat, staring at him all the time. "Wow. Wouldn't it have been easier just to tell her off?"

"I tried that," he said, sounding defeated, "but she kept giving my cryptic remarks about how she always gets what she wants. So I took the coward's way out and disposed of her."

"Ah, the old mafia way," she replied, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Well, I'm glad you did, anyway. Of course, you do realize this means you're admitting she was a distraction."

He sighed and looked over at her with mock frustration. "Is there any way to make you women happy?" She punched him lightly in the arm. "What's for dinner?"

Karen was working the exercise bike in the gym like a maniac, spurred on by the way her leg muscles felt ready to collapse. She knew if she stopped she'd never start again, so she found a rhythm in the music and kept to it while the sweat poured down her face, stopping at her chin.

David walked up, his eyes on her and smiling, and put a hand on the handlebar of the bike. "Wow, Karen, you're motivated this afternoon," he exclaimed.

She smiled lightly but kept going, barely looking at him. Her timer beeped after about thirty seconds and she stopped, breathing loudly and wincing as she climbed off. "So, how are you today, David?" she asked.

"Great, great," he answered, handing her a towel. "Listen, Karen, I was wondering... did you want to go out to dinner with me sometime?"

She stared up at him, shocked. Sexy David was asking her out on a date? She felt like she was in the twilight zone. "David, I'm sorry, but I'm married," she answered, wiping herself down and starting to walk away.

"Oh come on, Karen, I've seen the way you look at me." Their eyes met and in his she saw something she knew instantly she didn't like. "I won't tell if you won't." He put a hand on her arm and grinned at her.

She pushed it away, disgusted. "David, I love my husband, and if I gave you the wrong impression about us, then I'm sorry." She left him standing there with a bemused expression on his face and walked up to the main entrance to get her bag. Standing in the doorway was a shocked-looking Harry, holding flowers and staring straight at her.

"Hello, Karen," he said simply, and by the way he spoke she knew instantly he'd heard the entire exchange.

"Harry..." She took the flowers from him and kissed him, hard, and right on the lips. "Let's go."

They walked to car hand in hand, and Harry thought to himself that he'd never been more thankful to have Karen as his wife.

Note: Okay, they're almost there, but I'm having fun with this story so I'm going to keep dragging it out. If this chapter seemed off to you, I'm sorry, it's just that I didn't have a lot of time to write it.


	6. Crave That World

Cold Air Hellos and Goodbyes – Chapter Six

Harry woke the next morning and turned to see that the space in bed beside him was empty. Listening carefully, he could hear Karen walking around in the kitchen, most likely preparing the kids' breakfast. He crawled out of bed and out of his pajamas, groaning as his back tightened. He'd had a hellish night, tossing and turning like crazy. To put it bluntly, he didn't know how much longer he could go without sex. It had been ten weeks, and though he understood Karen's need to take things slowly, he was pretty sure he was going insane.

"Good morning darling," Karen called out, giving him a genuine smile as she placed two plates of pancakes in front of the children. "How did you sleep?"

"Oh," he said, trying to smile, "fine, I guess." He kissed her on the cheek, not trusting himself with any more, and rubbed his stomach. "I'm starving. This looks good."

"Thanks," she said, pulling out a chair for him. "Go ahead and sit down. There's eggs benedict, too, if you want. I must say, it looks delicious. Practically melted in my mouth. Mm."

He groaned silently. "I think I'll just stick with pancakes," he said, hardly daring to look at her.

"Oh, by the way," she said slowly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I've got a surprise for you. My long-lost brother David, finally on a vacation, has agreed to take Daisy and Bernie for the weekend so we can have it all to ourselves." He looked up at her with wide eyes. "I think it'd be good for us."

He just nodded, swallowing. Inside he was praising God. "So will David be able to handle these two maniacs?" He ruffled Bernard's hair.

"No, but Natalie's there," she answered, and grinned.

Daisy and Bernard were just packing up the last of their things and headed out to the car when the phone rang. Harry went and picked it up, calling out hello in an extremely cheerful voice.

"Wow, you sound happy," Sarah's voice sounded through the receiver. Harry grinned.

"Weekend alone with Karen," he told her. "I should."

"Ah." She laughed, and then cleared her throat. "I was just calling to let you know that Mia is your secretary again."

"What?" he asked, his voice bland. "Why?"

"Joe transferred her back up here. Apparently she knows nothing about what they do down there. He called you an 'idiot' for making her work down there and then told her to take all her stuff back to her old desk." It was quiet for a few seconds before she said, "Just thought you'd want to know."

"Right. Well, it's okay. It doesn't matter. She doesn't do anything for me anymore, Sarah, I'll be fine."

"Of course you will, of course." She didn't sound too convinced, but Harry ignored it. "Oh, and another thing, Jenny called to confirm that next week she's taking maternity leave, so we're going to have to find a new ad manager." Harry groaned, holding his head in his hands. "But Harry, have a great weekend, take Monday off if you need to. And I'm sure you'll need to." He laughed, thanked her, and hung up.

Karen walked up to him, car keys in hand. "Just going to go drop the kids off at David's. Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone." She winked at him and walked away.

Karen whistled as she walked into her brother's house, smiling at all the servants and ignoring Daisy's whiney screams for Bernard to give her knapsack back, and right now. She waved wildly at Natalie when she saw her standing by the door to David's office, and walked up to her. "Hey you, where's that brother of mine?"

"Oh, he's in his office," she answered, smiling at Karen sweetly.

"Working, on his vacation?" Karen suddenly got very worried that maybe he'd changed his mind, but Natalie put her fears to rest.

"Oh no, he's not working. He got a new video game and he's been playing it since nine this morning." She laughed and took Bernard and Daisy's bags. "All right guys, say goodbye to your mum and I'll show you your room."

The children dutifully hugged her in turn, though Karen could tell what they really wanted to do was hang out with Natalie, and after they'd left she turned to the door of David's office and went in. "Hey brother," she said, seeing David lounging in front of his computer screen, his eyes flashing with excitement and concentration.

"Oh," he looked up, grinned, and hit a key on the keyboard. "Karen, how are you?"

"I'm doing wonderfully, thanks," she answered, sitting down on a chair opposite him.

"Really-wonderfully, or fake-wonderfully?" he asked, genuinely concerned. He had abandoned the video game, which she assumed he'd paused, and was leaning back in his chair and looking at her closely.

"Really-wonderfully, actually," she told him, her eyes shining, and leaned forward. "Everything between me and Harry is just going so wonderfully. I think our marriage is back on track, David, and I couldn't be more ecstatic."

He smiled at her and reached out to rub her arm. They both got up and hugged, and she apologized for having to leave so soon, but she didn't want to keep Harry waiting. He just laughed and said he didn't mind because he was dying to finish this level. As she walked out of the house she was more happy than she'd been in months, maybe even years, and it was all she could do to keep herself from cheering out loud.

When Karen walked in the door of the house she immediately smelled something cooking. Curious, she slipped quietly into the kitchen and watched Harry stirring a large pot on the stove and humming. "What's cooking?" she asked, walking up to him and smiling.

He looked surprised for a few seconds before grinning and shrugging. "Just spaghetti."

She was overtaken at that moment, for some odd reason, by how much she loved him and how close she'd come to losing him. She moved to him and slipped her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder and sighing. "It smells good," she said softly.

He put a hand over hers and kissed her forehead. "It's your recipe." She laughed and held him tighter, watching as his spoon stirred the sauce in a slow, steady rhythm.

After Harry and Karen had been married for about three years, they stopped having romantic dinners. Harry had never been one drawn to romantic anything, and Karen was always the type to let it go with a laugh. But she guessed that that had been their downfall. They had forgotten what it was like to really hold each other, look into each other's eyes, stare at the way their faces lit up from the glow of a candle. It was all so corny, she knew, but at the same time something that needed to be done. And so, as they beside each other at the table that night, eating their spaghetti by candlelight, giggling at the other's jokes and feeding each other bites of pasta, she knew something had been repaired.

The dinner continues next chapter!


	7. Why me?

Cold Air Hellos and Goodbyes – Chapter 7

**NOTES:** Again, so sorry it took me so long to write this chapter! Starting a new semester, and all that jazz. The chapters will come slower now, but I hope to finish at chapter 10 or earlier. Unless you guys can think of more for me to write about.

Also, I'm not sure if it's possible to break both your leg and your wrist from falling, but whatever, I must do what I must do. ;)

Also, I'm currently seriously mad because won't let me indent my paragraphs or put stars in between scenes, so that's the reason why this story runs together instead of having scenes seperated. Sorry!

**THANKS:** To all the reviewers, for your support and patience! You guys rock!

We start where we left off last chapter...

"I have just one question," Karen said softly, twirling her spaghetti on her fork and letting the warmth from the candle spread across her face. "After our first date, when you came to visit me, did you really lose my number or were you just making an excuse to see me?"

Harry smiled, letting his eyes rest on her mouth and the way the sauce left a red spot on her lips. "I lost your number," he said, and they both laughed quietly, aware of the electricity circling around the room, buzzing in their ears, making it hard to breathe.

He leaned in to brush a piece of hair from her face to behind her ear and let his fingers linger there. She smiled slightly, then leaned in to kiss him, her hands on his neck. "Karen," he said softly, whispering in her ear.

Before he could finish there was a loud knock at the door which soon turned into a pounding, and they were both forced out of their chairs from the noise. "Who could that be?" Karen asked, frowning. Both of them moved slowly out of disappointment, and by the time they'd gotten to the door the pounding was accompanied by a loud voice yelling their names.

Harry swung the door open and found Natalie standing there, her cheeks flushed and panting. "Thank goodness you're home! It's Bernie, he had a bit of a fall and David's took him to the hospital. He's having a bit of trouble with the doctors and people - we need his forms and things."

Karen nodded quickly, running to get them, and Harry got their coats. It was less than two minutes before they were out the door and running to the car.

Harry sat in a chair in the hospital waiting room reading an outdated women's magazine. It was an article entitled, "What He's Thinking During Sex" and he was enthralled. He couldn't remember a time when he'd thought any of these things during sex, but it was very interesting none the less.

Karen walked into the room and sat beside him. She looked exhausted, and he told her as much. She raised an eyebrow and rested her head on his shoulder. "Well, the doctor said we could go home. They've finished putting the casts on and he's just going to be sleeping for the next few hours, so."

Harry nodded. Upon their arrival at the hospital, they had learned that Bernie was going to be just fine, but he had a broken leg and a broken wrist. The doctor had said that though the injuries weren't serious, they were extremely painful, and so Bernie would have to stay an extra day at the hospital. Apparently, according to an awed Daisy, they had been sliding down the banister and Bernie had fallen off and bounced a couple of times before landing a considerable distance down the stairs. Harry wondered how they had been allowed to slide down the banister, but he decided to keep it to himself when he saw Natalie's guilty face.

Harry's only real regret was that he hadn't been able to finish his evening with Karen. Bernie was always breaking bones - why couldn't he have one night alone with his wife without something happening to interrupt them? He sighed as he caught sight of Karen's sagging body climbing into the car. She was exhausted. Damn.

"I'm sorry tonight got cut short, Karen," Harry said to her as they dressed into their pajamas and climbed into bed.

"Me too," she said with genuine regret, yawning. "I'd say we could continue now, but I'm afraid I wouldn't turn in much of a performance as much as my heart would be in it. I don't think I've been this tired in a long time." She crawled under the covers and buried her head in the pillow, falling asleep almost immediately.

He sighed loudly. It was his own fault. Instead of filling out all the forms and chasing after doctors and looking at x-rays with her, he had sat down on a chair with Daisy and talked with her. He knew it was the right thing to do at the time - the poor child was terrified, having never been a party to Bernard's breaking of bones before - but he still hated the outcome. Now he had to wait a whole day more, and though he supposed it was a shallow thing to be whining about, it was still extremely frustrating.

He slid into bed beside his wife and put his arms around her - something he hadn't done for months. She stirred slightly (his heart jumped) but then fell back asleep, her chest rising and falling evenly.

Harry walked into work the next morning in a foul mood. Last night's happenings combined with the fact that he knew he had to hire an ad manager today were causing storm clouds to appear above his head. Apparently they were visible to pretty much everyone else, too, because no one had said so much as a word to him since he'd got there.

"Hey boss, " Sarah said - more timidly than usual - as she walked into his office. "Rough night?"

He winced, gave her a look, and sat down. "Bernard decided to break his leg and interrupt my evening," he stated simply, and watched the understanding dawn on her face.

"Ah." She stared at her feet for a few seconds before clearing her throat and saying gently, "Well, the interviews for the ad manager position start in five minutes..."

"Yeah, I know," he groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Send them in. I'll try to be polite."

Sarah didn't look too convinced but nodded and left the room promptly. Harry wondered to himself how things could possibly get any more frustrating than they were now, when Mia walked in the room. "Oh God," he said, almost immediately, and blushed when he realized it had been out loud.

"Hey Harry," she said softly, closing the door behind her. "You probably don't want to see me, but I have to deliver this." She handed him a piece of white paper and smiled.

He tried not to watch her as she walked away and shook his head. He looked down at the paper she had given him, which was a resume. Just then someone opened the door to his office and walked in.

"Hello sir, my name is Jordan Renaldo," a young man said, offering his hand for Harry to shake. He was about six feet tall, with wavy blonde hair, blue eyes, and the look of a Ralph Lauren model. Harry immediately hated him.

"Why don't you take a seat, Jordan?" Harry asked, pointing to the chair opposite his. The young man sat in the chair and crossed his legs. His clothing was immaculate, and one look at his resume told Harry that it was, too. He would have to hire him, he thought, and almost sighed.

After Jordan left, (guaranteed the job somewhat reluctantly by Harry) Mia walked into Harry's office. He nearly screamed out of frustration. She was wearing a short skirt and a tight, white blouse, and he turned his head away, trying not to look at her. He glanced at the clock - 4:00. He didn't think he'd ever been happier to find the day almost over.

"Hey Harry," she said, walking up to him. "How did the interview go?" She was standing so close to him he could smell her hair. He thought to himself that there couldn't have been a worse time for her to be here. Everything inside him ached, and she sensed it. She moved closer.

"It went fine, Mia," he said, his voice deep and distracted. She took his hand, saying something about how he had an ink stain on it, and his mind went on fire.

Before he could think, he pushed her aside and stormed out of the room. Everything was a blur. He quickly got into his car and headed home, only one thing on his mind.


	8. The End!

Cold Air Hellos and Goodbyes – Chapter Eight – Final Chapter

NOTES: Well, okay, I had planned to never finish this story, but once I found out that people actually cared, I decided it couldn't hurt to spend a half hour or so punching out a short last chapter. So yes, this is very short, but at least now it's finished properly. Yes, the sap and the cheese are running high, my friends, but how else could you end a love story? Anyways, I hope you all enjoy it, and thank you so much for being such dedicated readers. Oh, and you might want to read the last chapter just to refresh your memory since this picks up pretty much right after it.

He arrived home in record time. He dropped his bag on the floor in the hallway and raced into the kitchen, practically out of breath from excitement and need and love and all kinds of other emotions he'd felt before but never like this. She was standing in the middle of the room staring at him.

"I thought I heard the door. What are you doing home so early?" She was holding a wash cloth in one hand and a half-eaten apple in the other, and she was watching him very closely.

"I just..." The words caught in his throat and he stopped, still holding his car keys, and leaned against the table. "I love you."

She smiled, softly, and he could tell that she was happy he'd said it. "I love you, too, Harry. What's gotten into you?"

He went forward, then, and grabbed her by the waist. Kissing her, he pushed her gently against the wall behind them and he could feel her murmuring against his mouth. "My gosh, you have no idea how long I've waited for this," she said loudly, running her fingers through his hair.

"You've waited?" he asked, kissing her neck. "I've been in excruciating pain for three months now."

She laughed, pulling off his shirt, and kissing him again. "It has been way too damn long," she said, and they started for the bedroom.

A few hours later, lying side by side in their bed, Harry stroked her hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. "Nothing that happens in this life, nothing, can ever take away what we have right now, and what we just made," he said to her, resting his head on her chest.

She smiled. "You said the exact same thing on our honeymoon," she said, and they both laughed. "To be honest, I don't think I've ever been so happy."

He grinned, taking her hand and kissing it. "And it's only mid-afternoon! How long til' the kids get home from the party?"

"Two more hours," she said, glancing at the clock.

"Plenty of time," he told her, and leaned in to kiss her again.


End file.
